Today the Tennessean carried an op-ed piece by Charlie Strobel. Charlie was previously the pastor of holy Name Catholic Church (where our current offices are located) and then founded and continues to direct the Campus for Human Development. Charlie also has faced the tragedy of having his mother murdered.

Charlie's letter is a beautiful and cogent reminder that revenge is not the answer, and that many families who have lost a loved one to murder do not want to see another murder in response. As I sat in mass this morning, in the very church where Charlie used to preach, the Gospel reading was from the book of Matthew; it included the Golden Rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." This great moral message, which can be found, in some form across all faiths and people of conscience is particularly timely as we face today's double execution. It does not read do unto others as they have done to you, which seems to be the rhetoric of those who support the death penalty. Instead it calls us to forgive and to heal. Charlie's beautiful words, backed by his personal story and integrity, bring this home to us now. We can only hope that the state of Tennessee can be moved by the same message.

To read Charlie's piece, click here.